Table-top electric heat sealer

ABSTRACT

An electric heat sealer including a casing having a first pair of extensions extending outwardly therefrom, a press bar pivotally connected to said casing, the press bar having a second pair of extensions extending outwardly therefrom, at least one sealing mechanism mounted in the press bar or the casing and a source of current for energizing the heating wire. The press bar is normally biased above the casing and the at least one sealing mechanism includes a heating wire.

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/072,293,filed Feb. 6, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,770,849, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/495,999,filed Feb. 1, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,515, and Ser. No.09/208,256, filed Dec. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,594, both ofwhich are continuations-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/189,359, filed Nov. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,579, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/917,358filed on Aug. 26, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,466, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated in their entireties herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electric heat sealer, and moreparticularly to an electric heat sealer which can be controlled to breakthe electric circuit when the apparatus is not in use, so as to preventan electric connection by a false action.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of electric heat sealers have been developed for home use, andhave appeared on the market.

Conventional electric heat sealers are functional for sealing plasticbags and the like. However, these electric heat sealers have no safetycontrol means. When an electric heat sealer is touched by an externalforce, the sealing mechanism may be electrically connected to produceheat, potentially causing an accident to occur.

Another problem with conventional electric heat sealers is that it isoften necessary to take two “swipes” at a plastic bag to seal the bagwith the sealer. For example, when sealing a bag by swiping from theleft to the right, because of the configuration of the sealer, the leftmost portion of the bag is often left unsealed. It is then necessary toseal the unsealed area by swiping that portion from the right to theleft.

A need exists for an electric heat sealer which eliminates the aforesaidproblems, and which is handy and safe in use.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with one preferred aspect of the present invention, thereis provided an electric heat sealer comprising a casing, a batterychamber, a spring holder, a sealing mechanism, a press bar, and a safetydevice. The casing holds the battery chamber, the spring holder, thesealing mechanism and the safety device on the inside. The batterychamber comprises a front upright support; a rear upright support; afirst front terminal plate and a second front terminal platerespectively mounted on the front upright support; a pair of rearterminal plates respectively mounted on the rear upright support; afirst metal contact plate mounted on the front upright support andconnected the first front terminal plate; and a second metal contactplate mounted on the front upright support and spaced from the secondterminal plate by a gap. The second terminal plate is forced intocontact with the second metal contact plate when a battery set isinstalled in the battery chamber. The spring holder is mounted in thecasing and spaced between the first metal contact plate and the secondmetal contact plate. The sealing mechanism is mounted in the casing andmoved up and down relative to the first and second metal contact plates.

The sealing mechanism comprises a heat insulative base; an electricwire; two metal locating plates; and a compression spring. The heatinsulative base comprises a protrusive middle portion. The electricheating wire is mounted on the protrusive middle portion of the heatinsulative base. The metal locating plates are fixedly fastened to theheat insulative base at two opposite sides and respectively connected totwo opposite ends of the electric heating wire. The compression springis connected between the spring holder and the protrusive middleposition of the heat insulative base.

The press bar has a fixed end pivotally connected to one end of thecasing and a free and fixedly mounted with a heat insulative pressblock. The heat insulative press block is forced against the protrusivemiddle portion of the heat insulative base of the sealing mechanism whenthe press bar is depressed.

The safety device comprises a safety switch with two opposite terminals.The safety switch has two lead wires respectively extended from the twoopposite terminals thereof and respectively connected to the secondterminal plate and the second metal contact plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the inventive electric heat sealer furtherincludes a protective frame pivotally connected to the casing andpivotable between a first position and a second position. In the firstposition, the protective frame is spaced between the heat insulativebase of the sealing mechanism and the heat insulative press block of thepress bar. In the second position, the protective frame is pivoted outof the space between the base and the press block.

Preferably, the electric heat sealing wire and the press block arecovered by heat insulative sheets, which preferably are comprised of aheat-resistant material such as a Teflon mesh.

In another preferred embodiment, the inventive heat sealer furtherincludes a cover device for the casing. The cover device has definedtherein an opening through which the protrusive middle portion of theheat insulative base of the sealing mechanism extends out of the casing.More specifically, the cover device includes a front cover platedisposed on a front portion of the casing, a rear cover plate disposedon a rear portion of the casing, and an intermediate cover platedisposed on a middle portion of the casing over the battery chamber.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an electric heat sealer which includes a casing; a coverdevice; first and second metal contact plates; a sealing mechanism;resilient means, such as a spring, piston or the like, biasing thesealing mechanism in an upward direction; operating means pivotallyconnected to the casing; and a safety device.

The cover device covers the casing and has an opening formedtherethrough. The first and second metal contact plates are mountedwithin the casing below the opening in the cover device. The sealingmechanism is mounted in the casing and moves up and down relative to thefirst and second metal contact plates. The sealing mechanism includes: aheat insulative base having a protrusive middle portion; an electricheating wire mounted on the protrusive middle portion of the heatinsulative base, the electric heating wire having two opposite ends; andtwo metal locating plates mounted on the heat insulative base andrespectively connected to the opposite ends of the electric heatingwire.

The resilient means biases the sealing mechanism in an upward directionso that the protrusive middle portion of the heat insulative baseextends through the opening in the cover device. The operating means ispivotally connected to the casing and extends above the opening in thecover device. The operating means is movable downwardly to engage anobject to be sealed which is supported on the protrusive middle portionof the heat insulative base extending through the opening and urge theheat insulative base downwardly and cause the metal locating plates toengage the metal contact plates. This causes electrical current to flowthrough and heat the electric heating wire when the metal contact platesare connected to a source of electrical current.

The safety device selectively prevents electrical current from flowingthrough the electric heating wire.

In a preferred embodiment, the inventive heat sealer is adapted to besupplied with electrical current from at least one current sourceselected from the group consisting of a DC current source and an ACcurrent source. Particularly, the inventive heat sealer is adapted to besupplied with electrical current from both a DC current source and an ACcurrent source.

More particularly, the inventive heat sealer is adapted to be suppliedwith electrical current from a DC current source which is a battery set.In this embodiment, the casing defines a battery chamber adapted toreceive a battery set, the battery chamber including a front uprightsupport; a rear upright support; first and second front terminal platesrespectively mounted on the front upright support; a pair of rearterminal plates respectively mounted on the rear upright support; afirst metal contact plate mounted on the front upright support andconnected to the first front terminal plate; and a second metal contactplate mounted on the front upright support and spaced from the secondterminal plate by a gap. The second terminal plate is forced intocontact with the second metal contact plate when a battery set isinstalled in the battery chamber.

Preferably, the safety device includes a safety switch having twoopposite terminals and two lead wires respectively extending from thetwo opposite terminals thereof and respectively connected to theforegoing second terminal plate and the second metal contact plate.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an electric heat sealer comprising: a casing having an openingformed therethrough; first and second metal contact plates mountedwithin the casing below the opening; a sealing mechanism as describedabove, the sealing mechanism being mounted in the casing and moving upand down relative to the first and second metal contact plates;resilient means biasing the sealing mechanism in an upward direction sothat the protrusive middle portion of the heat insulative base extendsthrough the opening in the casing; operating means pivotally connectedto the casing and extending above the opening in the casing as describedabove; and a safety device which selectively prevents electrical currentfrom flowing through the electric heating wire.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided an electric heat sealer that includes a main body having alongitudinal axis, and a sealing mechanism having a center point. Thecenter point of the sealing mechanism is offset from said longitudinalaxis. In a preferred embodiment, the sealer includes an offset sealerportion, in which the sealing mechanism is disposed, extending from themain body. In another preferred embodiment the sealer includes a pressbar. In this embodiment, the offset sealer portion has an upper memberthat extends from the press bar and a lower member, wherein said mainbody includes a casing, wherein said upper member extends from saidpress bar and said lower member extends from said casing, and saidsealing mechanism is disposed in said lower member.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided an electric heat sealer that includes a casing that defines alongitudinal axis and has a first offset sealer portion extendingtherefrom, and a sealing mechanism mounted in the first offset sealerportion. The sealing mechanism has a center point that is spaced fromthe longitudinal axis. In a preferred embodiment, the electric heatsealer includes a second offset sealer portion that extends from thecasing in a direction substantially opposite of the first offset sealerportion.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a method of sealing comprising the steps of providing an objectto be sealed and sealing the object to be sealed using a sealer whereinan offset sealer portion follows a main body portion.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a method of sealing comprising the steps of providing anelectric heat sealer having an offset sealer portion with a heatingwire, providing an object to be sealed positioning the sealer such thatthe heating wire extends over an edge of the object to be sealed, andsealing the object to be sealed with a single swipe. In a preferredembodiment, the method also includes the step of causing the sealer toapply an offset force to the object to be sealed, before swiping thesealer across the object to be sealed.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention thereis provided a sealing mechanism for use with an electric heat sealerthat includes a heat insulative base. The heat insulative base has atleast one extension member extending from a side thereof. A channel isdefined between the side and the extension member.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided an electric heat sealer that includes a casing, a press barpivotally connected to the casing, at least one sealing mechanismmounted in the press bar or the casing and a source of current forenergizing the electric heating wire of the sealing mechanism. Thecasing and the press bar each include an extension extending outwardlytherefrom. Preferably, the extensions are substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis defined by the casing.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there isprovided an electric heat sealer including a casing, a press barpivotally connected to the casing, at least one sealing mechanismmounted within the casing or the press bar, the sealing mechanismincluding a heating wire, wherein the heating wire includes at least twosections that are non-parallel to one another, and a source of current.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a sealer wall mounting mechanism that includes a main bodyportion, a pair of spaced apart posts extending outwardly from the mainbody portion, and a pair of spaced apart hang members extendingoutwardly from the main body portion and spaced below the pair of spacedapart posts.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a plastic bag sealer that includes a sealing mechanism having abase and a heatable wire thereon. The base has an upper surface portionupon which the wire is positioned. The length of the wire which isadapted to contact the bag is greater than the length of the uppersurface portion of the base.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided an electric heat sealer including a casing, a press barpivotally connected to the casing, at least one sealing mechanismmounted including a heating wire with a resistance of greater than about5 ohms, and a source of current. In a preferred embodiment, the heatingwire is non-circular.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a plastic bag sealer that includes a sealing mechanism having abase and a heatable wire thereon. The base has a length and an uppersurface portion upon which the wire is positioned. The surface area ofthe wire that is adapted to contact the bag is greater than the surfacearea of the wire which would be adapted to contact the bag if the wirewere linearly disposed along the length of the upper surface portion ofthe base.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription. It is to be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustrationand not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope ofthe present invention may be made without departing from the spiritthereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more readily understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an electric heat sealer according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is another exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention when viewed fromthe front side.

FIG. 4 is another perspective rear side view of the present inventionwhen viewed from the rear side.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the present invention before operation.

FIG. 6 is another sectional view of the present invention, showing thepress bar pressed down.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a flat metal contact plate and afront terminal plate separated by a gap.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the connection of an embodiment of asafety device of the invention (a safety switch) to the flat metalcontact plate and front terminal plate of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an environment view showing a heat sealer having an offsetsealer portion sealing a plastic bag.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view showing the heat sealer of FIG. 9 inan open position.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the heat sealer of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a is an environment view showing a heat sealer having anoffset sealer portion similar to that of FIG. 9, but more ergonomicallydesigned. The sealer is shown sealing a plastic bag.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view showing the heat sealer of FIG. 12in an open position.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the heat sealer of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is an environment view showing a heat sealer having an offsetsealer portion similar to that of FIG. 12, but having the press barpivotally connected to the casing at a neck portion. The sealer is shownsealing a plastic bag.

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view showing the heat sealer of FIG. 15in an open position.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the heat sealer of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along line 18—18 ofFIG. 17, with the frame removed.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the spring member and heatinsulative base used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of a heat sealer having two offset sealerportions, in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a heat sealer that includes extensionsfor sealing a plastic bag without having to “swipe” the sealer inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the press bar of the heat sealer ofFIG. 21 with the cover exploded away to show the components disposedtherein.

FIG. 23 is a is a perspective view of the heat sealer of FIG. 21 held inan open position to show the spring and actuation button.

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the press bar of the heatsealer of FIG. 21.

FIG. 25 is a sectional side elevation taken along line 28—28 of FIG. 21showing the sealing mechanism and heat insulative press block mounted inthe press bar and casing, respectively.

FIG. 26 is a is a perspective view of a portion of the sealing mechanismof the heat sealer of FIG. 21 with the heat resistant cover sheet peeledback to show the heating wire.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the casing of the heat sealer of FIG.21.

FIG. 28 is a top plan view of an electric heating wire in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the press bar of the heat sealer ofFIG. 21 with the cover in place.

FIG. 30 is a front perspective view of a sealer wall mounting mechanismin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a front elevational view of the sealer of FIG. 21 mounted inthe sealer wall mounting mechanism of FIG. 30, which is mounted on awall.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1–4 and 7, a first embodiment of an electric heatsealer in accordance with the present invention includes a casing 10, aspring holder 11, a press bar 20, a battery chamber 30, a sealingmechanism 40, and a safety device 70.

It will be appreciated that terms such as “below,” “outwardly,”“downwardly,” “upwardly,” “leftmost,” “rightmost,” “horizontal,” and“vertical” used herein are used merely for ease of description and referto the orientation of the components as shown in the Figures. It shouldbe understood that any orientation of the various embodiments ofelectric heat sealers and the components thereof described herein iswithin the scope of the present invention.

The battery chamber 30 is defined within the casing 10. The batterychamber 30 comprises a front upright support 31, a rear upright support32, a pair of front terminal plates 33 and a rear terminal unit having apair of rear terminal plates 34 respectively mounted on the frontupright support 31 and the rear upright support 32. When battery cells(not shown) are installed in the battery chamber 30, the positive andnegative terminals of the battery cells are respectively connected tothe metal contact plates 33, 34.

A pair of flat metal contact plates 331 are mounted on the front uprightsupport 31. One flat metal contact plate 331 is directly connected toone front terminal plate 33. Alternatively, the two plates 331 and 31can form a single unit. The other flat metal contact plate 331 is spacedfrom the other front terminal plate 33 by a gap 332.

The spring holder 11 is mounted in the front upright support 31 betweenthe flat metal contact plates 331.

The sealing mechanism 40 is mounted within the casing 10, comprising aheat insulative base 41, an electric heating wire 42, two metal locatingplates 43, a heat resisting cover sheet 44, and a compression spring 45.The heat insulative base 41 comprises a protrusive middle portion 411.The locating plates 43 are fasted to two opposite sides of the heatinsulative base 41 to hold the electric heating wire 42 on theprotrusive middle portion 411. The heat resisting cover sheet 44 iscovered on the heat insulative base 41 over the electric heating wire 42to protect the electric heating wire 42. The heat insulative cover sheet44 preferably is a meshed member, made from a heat-resistant materialsuch as Teflon, providing a smooth surface. The heat insulative base 41has a bottom mounting hole 412 at the bottom of the protrusive middleportion 411. The bottom mounting hole 412 is preferably a circular hole.The compression spring 45 has a bottom end received in the spring holder11, and a top end inserted into the bottom mounting hole 412. Thediameter of the compression spring 45 fits the circular bottom mountinghole 412 of the heat insulative base 41. Because the sealing mechanism40 is supported on the compression spring 45, it can be moved up anddown in the casing 10 and is biased in the upward direction.

The press bar 20 comprises a heat insulative press block 21 at one endfacing the protrusive middle portion 411 of the heat insulative base 41of the sealing mechanism 40, a heat resisting cover sheet 22 covered onthe heat insulative press block 21, and a pair of lugs 23 bilaterallydisposed at an opposite end. The lugs 23 have a respective pivot pin 231at an inner side respectively inserted into two transverse pivot holes12 at one end of the casing 10. The heat resisting cover sheet 22 of thepress bar 20 and the heat resisting cover sheet 44 of the sealingmechanism 40 are preferably made from same material, such as a Teflonmesh. Further, a spring plate 24 is provided between the press bar 20and the casing 10 to impart an upward bias to the press bar 20. Becauseof the arrangement of the spring plate 24, the press bar 20 is normallymaintained in an upward position to prevent direct contact between theheat resisting cover sheet 22 at the press bar 20 and the heat resistingcover sheet 44 at the sealing mechanism 40.

The safety device 70 is for open circuit protection. Safety device 70preferably includes a safety switch 71 and a protective frame 73. In theparticular embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the safety switch 71is mounted in the casing 10 at the rear thereof. Safety device 70 hastwo lead wires 72 respectively extending from two opposed terminalsthereof and respectively connected to one front terminal plate 33 (whichis not directly connected to the corresponding flat metal contact plate331) and one flat metal contact plate 331 (which is not directlyconnected to the corresponding front terminal plate 33). See FIG. 8.

When the electric heat sealer is in use, the safety switch 71 isswitched by a user to the “on” position. When the safety switch is inthe “on” position, the gap 332 is bridged, enabling current to flow fromterminal plate 33 to metal contact plate 331 as shown in FIG. 8. Whenthe electric heat sealer is not in use, the safety switch 71 is switchedby the user to the “off” position to keep the lead wires 72 in an opencircuit state and prevent current from flowing from terminal plate 33 tocontact plate 331 in FIG. 8. That is, the safety switch is a safetydevice that is adapted to selectively prevent electrical current fromflowing through the electric heating wire. “Selectively” denotes that auser chooses a position which opens or closes the electric circuit andsets the device in the chosen position. The device remains in theselected state until the user changes the state of the device. Safetyswitch 71 can be a mechanical switch, an electrical device or any otherdevice which permits selective prevention of electrical current flow.

Depressing the press bar 20 against the sealing mechanism 40 does notclose the electric circuit when the safety switch 71 is set at the “off”position.

The protective frame 73 is pivotally connected to the casing 10 on theoutside of the casing at the same end as the sealing mechanism 40. Whenthe electric heat sealer is not in use, the protective frame 73 ispivoted upwards and retained between the heat insulative block 21 of thepress bar 20 and the protrusive middle portion 411 of the heatinsulative base 41 of the sealing mechanism 40 to stop the heatinsulative block 21 from contacting the sealing mechanism 40. When inuse, the protective frame 73 is pivoted outwardly and downwards to aposition away from the heat insulative block 21 and the heat insulativebase 41. Thus, the protective frame, by virtue of its pivotal motionbetween the foregoing two positions, is also adapted to selectivelyprevent electrical current from flowing through the electric heatingwire.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the electric heat sealer is not in use, theheat insulative base 41 is biased upward by the compression spring 45 sothat the locating plates 43 are spaced from the flat metal contactplates 331 to electrically disconnect the electric heating wire 42 fromthe battery cells. The safety switch 71 is switched to the “off”position, and the protective frame 73 is pivoted upward to the top sideof the casing 10 and retained between the heat insulative press block 21and the protrusive middle portion 411 of the heat insulative base 41 ofthe sealing mechanism 40. Therefore the electric heat sealer isdeactivated and performs no work.

Referring to FIG. 6, when in use, the protective frame 73 is pivotedoutwardly and downwards from the position above the protrusive middleportion 411 of the heat insulative base 41 preferably to the front ofthe casing 10, and the safety switch 71 is switched to the “on” positionto electrically connect the lead wires 72. When the press bar 20 ispressed down, the heat insulative press block 21 is forced against theheat insulative base 41. This causes the heat insulative base 41 to belowered and forces the locating plates 43 into contact with the metalcontact plates 331 to close the electrical circuit and heat the electricheating wire 42.

When sealing a workpiece, for example, a plastic bag, the open side ofthe plastic bag is placed between the protrusive middle portion 411 ofthe heat insulative base 41 and the heat insulative press block 21. Thenthe press bar 20 is pressed down to force the locating plates 43 intocontact with the metal contact plates 331 respectively. This closes theelectrical circuit, thereby causing the electric heating wire 42 to beheated. The open side of the plastic bag is thus melted and sealed bythe heat produced by the electric heating wire 42. When the press bar 20is released from the hand after use, the locating plates 43 are biasedupward by the compression spring 45, along with the rest of the heatinsulative base 41, from the metal contact plates 331 to open theelectric circuit and prevent electrical current from the battery setfrom flowing through the electric heating wire 42.

In the foregoing embodiment, the inventive safety device includes bothsafety switch 71 and protective frame 73. If desired, either of theseelements can be utilized separately.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, a cover device 50 is provided to cover thecasing 10. The cover device 50 is comprised of a front cover plate 51,an intermediate cover plate 52, and a rear cover plate 53. The frontcover plate 51 covers on the front portion of the casing 10 over thesealing mechanism 40. The intermediate cover plate 52 covers the middleportion of the casing 10 over the battery chamber 30. The rear coverplate 53 covers the rear portion of the casing 10. The front cover plate51 has defined therethrough an opening 511 through which the protrusivemiddle portion 411 of the heat insulative base 41 extends.

Alternatively, cover device 50 can be comprised of two plates or can beformed from a single plate. That is, cover plates 51 and 52, 52 and 53,or 51–53 can be replaced with unitary structures.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, a magnetic bottom plate 80 is preferablyfixedly mounted on the bottom of the casing 10. By means of the magneticbottom plate 80, the electric heat sealer can be secured to a metalsurface, for example a refrigerator door, by magnetic attraction.

Alternative embodiments of the foregoing heat sealer are also includedwithin the scope of the present invention. In one alternativeembodiment, the rear terminal unit can be replaced with two separaterear terminal plates 34 separated by a gap, and a safety switch can beconnected between the plates 34 (rather than front plated 33 and 331 asdescribed above) while the separated front plates 33 and 331 are placedin contact or form a single element.

In another alternative embodiment, electrical current can be supplied toelectric heating wire 42 from an AC power source rather than a DC powersource, or from both an AC power source and a DC power source. That is,the electric heat sealer can be adapted to be supplied with electricalcurrent from at least one current source selected from an DC currentsource and an AC current source (including both DC and AC powersources). Exemplary alternative power sources for an electric heatsealer that can be adapted for use in the present invention aredescribed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,123, which isincorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Safety switch 71 isdisposed at an appropriate position in the electrical circuit betweenthe electric heating wire and the DC and/or AC current source toselectively prevent current flow to the electric heating wire. Selectionof the appropriate location for safety switch 71 in this embodiment is amatter of routine design choice for those skilled in the art.

In another alternative embodiment, the cover device 50 can be disposedon the bottom of the casing 10 rather than on the top of the casing, sothat, for example, a battery set can be inserted from the bottom of theelectric heat sealer. In this embodiment, if desired a magnetic bottomplate can be affixed to the cover device or a plate thereof if the coverdevice is comprised of multiple separate plates. In this embodiment anopening through which the protrusive middle portion 411 of the heatinsulative base 41 extends is formed in an upper surface of the casingitself rather than in the cover device.

Referring to FIGS. 9–11, an embodiment of an electric heat sealer 500having an offset sealer portion 510 is shown. As best shown in FIGS. 10and 11, sealer 500 is similar to those embodiments described above.However, where the above described embodiments included a sealingmechanism 40 and associated components that are aligned with alongitudinal axis defined by casing 10, the center point C of thesealing mechanism 40 (via the offset sealing portion 510) of sealer 500is offset from the longitudinal axis A defined by casing 10.

An upper member 512 of the offset sealer portion 510 extends from thepress bar 20, and a lower member 514 of the offset sealer portion 510extends from the casing 10. Preferably, the offset sealer portion 510extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis A, however, this is not a limitation on the present invention. Thesealing mechanism 40 is disposed in the lower member 514 and preferablyextends through an opening defined therein. It will be understood thatthe offset sealer portion 510 can be any desired length. Therefore, thecomponents of the sealing mechanism 40, such as the heat insulative base41 and the protrusive middle portion 411 thereof, electric heating wire42 and the heat resisting cover sheet 44 can be longer than in the abovedescribed embodiments. This creates a longer sealing surface, andprovides improved sealing capabilities. The heat insulative block 21(and the heat insulative cover sheet 22) is located on the upper portion512 and is preferably aligned with the heat insulative base 41 and theheat resisting cover sheet 44, such that when the press bar 20 ispressed, the heat insulative block 21 and the heat resisting cover sheet44 sandwich the workpiece therebetween. The heat resisting cover sheet44 can be removed so that the electric heating wire 42 can be replaced.

Preferably, the sealer 500 is activated automatically when the press bar20 (and upper member 512) is pressed against the sealing mechanism 40,thereby urging the heat insulative base 41 downwardly and closing thecircuit as described above. The sealer 500 can also include a safetyswitch 71 as described above. When the safety switch 71 is at an “off”position, the heating wire 42 cannot be activated even when the circuitis closed by urging the locating plates 43 into contact with the contactplates 331. When the safety switch 71 is in the “on” position, theheating wire 42 is energized when the circuit is closed by urging thelocating plates 43 into contact with the contact plates 331. In analternative embodiment, the electric heating wire 42 can be energizedsimply by switching safety switch 71 to the “on” position. In thisembodiment, the heat insulative base 41 can be stationary, therebyeliminating the need for a spring, locating plates 43 or contact plates331. Electric current can be supplied to the electric heating wire 42 ofthe sealer 500 by AC or DC power as described above.

As shown in FIG. 9, the offset portion 510 of the sealer 500 allows abag to be sealed more easily with a single swipe. Thereby preventing thenecessity of a second swipe as described above in the Background of theInvention.

In a preferred embodiment, the sealer 500 can also be used to open asealed bag. Preferably the sealer 500 includes a slicer 515 that isactuated by a button 516. The button 516 extends through the upperportion 512 and is held in a first position by a spring. When the button516 is pressed downwardly, the slicer 515, which is located on a bottomside of the upper portion 512, is urged downwardly. The sealer caninclude a stop plate 522 with which the slicer 515 comes in contact whenthe button 516 is depressed. To slice a bag or the like using the slicer515, the user places a bag into position, as shown in FIG. 9, pressesthe press bar 20 downwardly, and simultaneously presses the button 516,thereby urging the slicer 515 downwardly and into contact with (andslicing through) the bag. The sealer 500 is then pulled across the bagin one motion, thereby slicing the bag open. In a preferred embodiment,the cutting portion of the slicer is made of a ceramic that easily cutsthrough a plastic bag, but that will not cut human skin. However, theslicer 515 can be made of metal or other cutting material.

It will be understood that other forms of slicers or cutters can be usedwith the present invention. For example, a safety cutting device such asthat taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,371, to Chou, filed Aug. 27, 1998,the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, can be used.

FIGS. 12–17 show two more embodiments of electric heat sealers with anoffset sealer portion 515. FIGS. 12–14 show a sealer 600 wherein thepress bar 20, casing 10 and offset sealer portion 510 are designed forcomfort in the hand of a user. The sealer 600 can be provided with athumb depression 618 for ease of depressing the press bar 20. Theworking components of the sealer 600 are similar to those of the abovedescribed embodiments.

FIGS. 15–17 show another sealer 700 having an offset sealer portion 510.Sealer 700 has a press bar 720 and upper member 512 of the offset sealerportion 510 that are pivotally connected via a hinge 718 to the casing10 at a neck portion 722 of the casing 10. As can be seen in thefigures, the casing 10 acts as a handle. The sealer 700 can also includean LED 724 that indicates when the circuit is opened and closed or thatindicates if the battery has power or is “dead.” As will be appreciatedby those skilled in the art, the above described embodiments of electricheat sealers with offset sealer portions are constructed substantiallythe same as the sealers described above and shown in FIGS. 1–8, exceptthat the sealing components are offset from the longitudinal axisdefined by the main body portion.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the sealer 700 can also include aprotective frame 73 as described above. The protective frame 73 ispivotally connected to the lower member 514, and is pivotable upwardly,as shown in FIG. 17. Preferably, the protective frame 73 is part of aremovable frame 726 that is engaged with the lower member 514. Frame 726has an opening 724 defined therein through which the protrusive portion411 of the heat insulative base 41 extends when the frame 726 is securedon lower member 514. The frame 726 can be secured on lower member 514 byany known method, for example, by a friction fit, by hooks, snaps, or ascrew 730 as shown in FIG. 17. Such a frame for an electric heat sealeris taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,038, to Chou, filed Aug. 12, 1998, theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional elevational view that shows a sealingmechanism 40 with a spring member 550 disposed in the lower member 514of a sealer with an offset sealer portion. FIG. 19 shows a heatinsulative base 41 and spring member 550 that can be used in a preferredembodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 19, the heat insulativebase 41 and spring member 550 are shown upside down from their operativepositions. The spring member 550 preferably includes four resilient arms552 that extend angularly upwardly from a middle section 554. The middlesection 554 has an opening defined therein through which a spring 45 canextend. The middle section 554 also has two support members 558 thatextend downwardly therefrom, as shown in FIG. 18.

The heat insulative base 41 includes four extension portions 560 thatextend from the sides thereof and define channels 562 between themselvesand the main body portion 41 a of the heat insulative base 41. The arms552 of the spring member 550 are sized such that they can be received inthe four channels 562 of the heat insulative base 41.

When assembled, the support members 558 of the spring member 550 arereceived in a pair of slots in the base of the lower member 514. Theheat insulative base 41 rests on the spring member 550 such that thearms 552 are received in the channels 562, thereby supporting the heatinsulative base 41 in a position wherein the locating plates 43 arespaced above the contact plates 331. In an alternative embodiment, thespring member 550 can be omitted and a spring 45 as described above canbe used. In operation, the press bar 20 is pressed downwardly, therebycausing heat insulating cover sheet 22 to contact heat insulating coversheet 44. The heat insulative base 41 is urged downwardly (by springmember 550 flexing), thereby causing the locating plates 43 to contactthe contact plates 331 and the circuit to close.

FIG. 20 shows another embodiment of the present invention, wherein anelectric heat sealer 800, similar to those described above, includes twooffset sealer portions 510, and two sealing mechanisms 40 and associatedcomponents. As shown in FIG. 18, both offset sealer portions 510 areoffset from the axis A defined by the main body and casing 10 of thesealer 800.

FIGS. 21–31 show yet another embodiment of the present invention.Referring to FIGS. 21–25, in this embodiment, the heat sealer 900includes a pair of extensions 902 and 904 that extend outwardly from thepress bar 20 and the casing 10, respectively. In a preferred embodiment,the extension 902 or the press bar 20 houses a sealing mechanism 40. Itwill be understood that the sealing mechanism 40 can also be disposed inthe casing and the extension 904 thereof. In this embodiment, thelongitudinal center point C of the sealing mechanism 40 is aligned withthe longitudinal axis A defined by the press bar 20 and casing 10.

As shown in FIG. 23, the casing 10 includes a heat insulative pressblock 21 at one end facing the sealing mechanism 40 of the press bar 20.Preferably, the heat insulative press block 21 is covered by a heatresistant cover sheet 22. As shown in FIG. 25, in a preferredembodiment, the heat insulative press block 21 is secured to a riser 909that is disposed in the opening 904 a in the casing 10/extensions 904.

Referring to FIGS. 24–27, the sealing mechanism 40 includes a heatinsulative base 41, a heating wire 910, a heat resistant cover sheet 44and a pair of metal locating plates or tabs 43. In a preferredembodiment, the sealing mechanism 40 includes a riser 909 to which theheat insulative base 41 is secured. The riser 909 is disposed in opening902 a in the press bar 20/extensions 902. The heating wire 910 isdisposed on the bottom surface of the heat insulative base 41, and theheat resistant cover sheet 44 covers the heating wire 910. In anotherembodiment, a second heat resistant cover sheet 44 may be placed underthe heating wire 910 and on top of the heat insulative base 41, as shownin FIG. 24. In one embodiment, the clips 43 are clipped onto theopposite ends of the heat insulative base 41 and hold the heating wire910 and heat resistant cover sheet 44 in place, as shown in the figuresdepicting the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. The heat insulative base 41may include a pair of notches adjacent the ends thereof, for receiving aportion of the clips 43. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, theclips 43 and/or the ends of the heating wire 910 can be secured in placeby metal screws 911 or other metal elements. Electrical leads 72 can beelectrically connected to the screws 911 or other element, which areelectrically connected to the clips 43 and/or the heating wire 910. Itwill be understood that any method of securing the ends of the wire 910and the heat resistant cover sheet 44 and including the wire 910 as partof the circuit is within the scope of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the heating wire 910 preferably has a shape such asthat shown in FIG. 28. In this shape, the heating wire 910 includes aplurality of substantially parallel horizontal sections 910 a and aplurality of substantially parallel vertical sections 910 b. In apreferred embodiment, the heating wire 910 (and clips 43) is cut from asheet of metal, the majority of which is Ni—CR (Nickel-Chromium).Preferably the heating wire 910 is 99% Ni—Cr and the remaining 1% iscomprised of other metals. As shown in FIG. 26, the actual heating wire910 has a width d₁; the vertical sections define a space d₂therebetween; the overall thickness of the heating wire configuration(from the outside edge of one parallel horizontal section to another)has a width d₃; the heating wire configuration has an overall length d₄and a length from the outside edge of the leftmost vertical section tothe outer edge of the rightmost vertical section of d₅. It will beunderstood that heating wire configuration refers to the heating wire910 in the shape shown in FIG. 28 including the substantially parallelhorizontal sections 910 a and the substantially parallel verticalsections 910 b.

In a preferred embodiment, d₁ is between approximately 0.1 mm and 0.9mm, d₂ is between approximately 0.05 mm and 0.35 mm, d₃ is betweenapproximately 0.05 mm and 0.35 mm, d₄ is between approximately 200 mmand 260 mm, and d₅ is between approximately 180 mm and 240 mm. In a morepreferred embodiment, d₁ is approximately 0.5 mm, d₂ is approximately0.2 mm, d₃ is approximately 2 mm, d₄ is approximately 230 mm, and d₅ isapproximately 210 mm. It will be understood that these dimensions aremerely exemplary and are not intended to be a limitation on the presentinvention.

With such a heating wire configuration, the entire heating wire 910 willbe longer than if the heating wire was configured in a straightorientation across the heat insulative base 41, as in the abovedescribed embodiments. It will be understood that the heating wire 910is shaped in such a configuration so that the overall length of theheating wire 910 when straight d₇ (not shown in the figures) is greaterthan the length d₆ of the heat insulative base 41. In other words, forthe portion of the heating wire 910 that is disposed on the top surface41 a of the heat insulative base 41 (the sealing portion of the heatingwire 910), d₇>d₆. Preferably, d₇ is 5 times longer than d₆ Other heatsealers, such as the embodiments described above, have a heating wirethat is straight and that runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axisdefined by the casing. Other heat sealers, such as the embodimentsdescribed above, also have a heating wire that wraps around the ends ofthe heat insulative base, however, the sealing portion of the heatingwire that is located on the top surface of the heat insulative base isless than or equal to the length of the heat insulative base. With theheating wire configuration of the present embodiment, portions of theheating wire are disposed non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Adefined by the casing. As shown in FIG. 24, preferably, the verticalsections 910 b of the heating wire 910 are disposed substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis A defined by the casing 10 and thepress bar 20. However, the shape shown in FIG. 24 is not a limitation onthe present invention. The wire may be shaped like a sine wave orsaw-tooth wave, or may combine both. In another embodiment, the sealermay include more than one heating wire 910. The wire 910 can have anyshape, provided that it affords more surface area than a single,straight, extended wire.

It will also be understood that in a preferred embodiment, the wire 910has a non-circular cross-section. Also, the wire 910 preferable has aflat upper or contact surface. Heating wires for heat sealers, such asthose described above, typically have a circular cross-section. However,this embodiment can also have a circular cross section.

In a preferred embodiment, the wire 910 has a resistance of betweenapproximately 2 ohms and 20 ohms. In the most preferred embodiment, thewire 910 has a resistance of approximately 5 ohms. Because the heatingwire configuration is wider than wires on prior electric heat sealers, ahigher resistance can be used. Typical prior art heat sealers used aheating wire that had a resistance of about 5 ohms. In a preferredembodiment, heating wire 910 has a resistance of greater than 5 ohms. Ina more preferred embodiment, the heating wire 910 has a resistance ofbetween about 7 and about 30 ohms, and in a most preferred embodiment,the heating wire 910 has a resistance of about 25 ohms because the wire910 is preferably 5 times longer (d₇) than prior art heating wires. InAC mode, the sealer is typically used with 120 V. As is well known inthe art V (voltage)=I (current)×R (resistance) or I=V/R. Therefore, witha higher resistance, the current is lower. In the most preferredembodiment, 120V/25 ohms=4.8 Amps. In a typical prior art sealer used inAC mode, 120V/5 ohms=24 Amps. The lower amperage provides a moreefficient burn.

Preferably, the extensions 902, 904 extend in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis A, however, this is not alimitation on the present invention. The sealing mechanism 40 isdisposed in an opening 902 a in the extension 902 of the press bar 20,and extends through opening 916 a in the cover 916. In anotherembodiment, the sealing mechanism 40 can be disposed on the bottom inthe case 10. In yet another embodiment, the press bar 20 and case 10 canboth include a sealing mechanism 40.

Referring to FIGS. 22, 24 and 29, the press bar 20 includes an actuationbutton 914 (and associated circuitry 914 a) or switch that is biaseddownwardly therefrom and is housed in a switch housing 914 b. When thepress bar 20 is moved downwardly the actuation button 914 contacts thecasing 10, thereby urging the actuation button 14 upwardly and closingthe circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the button 914 contacts notch917 and is depressed. The actuation button 914 is preferably locatedtoward the center of the press bar, and extends through opening 916 b inthe cover 916, as shown in FIG. 28, however this is not a limitation onthe present invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the circuitry is designed so that the it isonly actuated for a short period of time, for example, 2 seconds. Thisprovides enough time to seal a plastic bag and protects the user frombeing burned. However, this is not a limitation on the presentinvention. In another embodiment, the sealer 900 can include a secondswitch or dial for increasing or decreasing the heating/actuation time.

As shown in FIG. 24, and with reference to the descriptions of the otherembodiments above, wires 72 electrically connect the various componentsof the sealer, including the actuation button 914, AC power socket 920(described below), circuitry 914a and heating wire 910 (as well as clips43 and/or screws 911)

The press bar 20 includes a pair of lugs 23 on the inner surface of thehousing portion 918 that are inserted into two transverse pivot holes 12at one end of the casing 10. As shown in FIG. 23, the casing 10 includesa spring 915 extending upwardly therefrom to impart an upward bias tothe press bar 20. Because of the arrangement of the spring 15, the pressbar 20 is normally maintained in an upward position to prevent directcontact between the heat resisting cover sheet 44 of the sealingmechanism 40 and the heat resisting cover sheet 22 of the casing 10.

When the heat sealer 900 is placed on a surface, and is at rest, thepress bar 20 rests on and is biased upwardly by the spring 915. To closethe circuit, the urging of the spring 915 must be overcome by pressingthe press bar downwardly until the actuation button 914 contacts thecasing 10. It will be understood that if the sealing mechanism 40 is inthe casing 10, the placement of the spring 915, circuitry, actuationbutton 914, etc. will be reversed from the embodiment described above.

Referring again to FIGS. 22 and 29, the press bar 20 is preferably madeof two separate pieces that are preferably formed by a molding process,a cover 916 and a housing portion 918. The cover 916 and the housingportion 918 can be secured together by any known method, such as bygluing, fastening, etc. Preferably, the cover includes clips 916 c thatsecure the cover 916 to the housing portion 918. The portion of thecover 916 that forms part of the extensions 902 includes an opening 916a therein, through which a portion of the sealing mechanism 40 extends.

The housing portion 918 of the press bar 20 houses the electroniccircuitry as shown in FIG. 22. Electric lead wires 72 extend from thecircuitry to the sealing mechanism 40 to electrically connect theopposite ends of the heating wire 910 to the electric circuitry, therebymaking the heating wire 910 a part of the circuit.

As is shown in FIG. 29, the sealer 900 includes a socket 920 forreceiving a cord 922 (shown in FIG. 31) to electrically connect thesealer 900 with an AC power source. The cord 922 is adapted to beplugged in to a typical wall outlet, thereby providing 120 V at 60 Hz tothe sealer 900.

As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, a sealer wall mounting mechanism 940. Themechanism 940 includes a main body portion 941, a cord depression 942, asealer depression 944 and a pair of openings 946 defined transverselytherethrough. The cord depression 942 includes a pair of posts 948extending outwardly therefrom around which the cord 922 can be wrappedfor storage. The posts 948 can each include a tab 950 for preventing thecord from sliding off the post 948. The sealer depression 944 includes apair of hang members 954 on which the sealer 900 can be mounted.Preferably, the hang members 954 are spaced apart so as to allow thebody of the heat sealer 900 to fit therebetween and the extensions 902,904 to rest thereon, as shown in FIG. 31. The openings 946 are used foraffixing the mechanism 940 to a wall W. In a preferred embodiment, theopenings 946 have a wide section 946 a and a narrow section 946 b. Tohang the mechanism on the wall, a pair of screws 956 are screwed partway into the wall so that the head is not flush against the wall; thescrew heads are inserted through the wide section 946 a and themechanism 940 is moved downwardly so that the shank of the screw 956 isreceived into the narrow section 946 b of the opening 946, as shown inFIG. 31. In another embodiment, the openings 946 can be round. It willbe understood that the mechanism 940 can be affixed to a wall W or othersurface in any known manner.

It will be understood that the extensions 902 and 904 can be any desiredlength. Preferably, the extensions 902 and 904 extend outwardly farenough to be able to accept (and subsequently seal) a standard sizedplastic bag without having to “swipe” the sealer or the bag. The sealingof a plastic bag will be described more fully hereinbelow.

It will be further understood that certain components of the variousembodiments set forth above can be interchangeably used on the sealer900. For example, the heat insulative base 41 can include a protrusivemiddle portion; the sealer 900 can include a cutter for slicing opensealed plastic bags; the sealer can operate on both AC and DC; thesealing mechanism 40 may be spring biased such that pressing down on thesealing mechanism 40 causes the circuit to be closed, thereby energizingthe heating wire 910. The sealing mechanism can be secured in placeusing a frame, such that the heat resistant cover sheet 44 is easilyreplaceable.

The sealer 900 can also include an LED 724 (as shown in FIG. 21),similar to that described above, that indicates when the circuit isopened and closed or that indicates if the battery has power or is“dead.” As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the abovedescribed embodiments of electric heat sealer 900 are constructedsubstantially the same as the sealers described above and shown in FIGS.1–20, except that the casing 10 and press bar 20 include extensions 902and 904 and the sealing mechanism 40 and/or heat insulative press block21 are disposed in the extensions 902 or 904. Those skilled in the artwill be able to make numerous modifications to sealer 900 on the basisof the description of the other embodiments described herein. All suchembodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

Preferably, the sealer 900 is activated automatically when the press bar20 is pressed downwardly such that the actuation button 914 contacts thecasing 10 and closes the circuit as described above. The sealer 900 canalso include a safety switch 71 as described above. When the safetyswitch 71 is at an “off” position, the heating wire 910 cannot beactivated even when the circuit is closed by pressing down the press baras described above. When the safety switch 71 is in the “on” position,the heating wire 910 is energized when the circuit is closed by urgingthe actuation button 914 into a closed position. In an alternativeembodiment, the electric heating wire 910 can be energized simply byswitching safety switch 71 to the “on” position. In this embodiment,actuation button 914 can be omitted. Electric current can be supplied tothe electric heating wire 910 of the sealer 900 by AC or DC power asdescribed above.

The embodiments of the present invention recited herein are intended tobe merely exemplary and those skilled in the art will be able to makenumerous modifications to them without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention. For example, the sealing mechanism, and inparticular, the electric heating wire can be shortened to provide alonger battery life. In this alternative embodiment, the electricheating wire can be less than 1.0″ in length. Preferably, the electricheating wire is less than 0.75″ in length, and more preferably theelectric heating wire is less than 0.50″ in length. The shorter theelectric heating wire is, the longer the batteries will last. Theelectric heating wire can be made of a non-ferrous material, such ascopper or any other type of material to improve battery life. All suchmodifications are intended to be within the scope of the presentinvention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

1. An electric heat sealer comprising (a) a casing, (b) a press barpivotally connected to said casing, (c) at least one sealing mechanismmounted within said casing or said press bar, said sealing mechanismhaving an operating surface, and including a heating wire, wherein theportion of said heating wire disposed on said operating surface includesat least two sections that are non-parallel to one another, (d) a sourceof current, and (e) a power cord jack mounted to the casing.
 2. Theelectric heat sealer of claim 1 wherein said casing defines alongitudinal axis, and wherein at least one of said at least twosections of said heating wire is oriented non-perpendicularly to saidlongitudinal axis.
 3. The electric heat sealer of claim 1 wherein saidcasing defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein at least one of said atleast two sections of said heating wire is oriented substantiallyparallel to said longitudinal axis.
 4. The electric heat sealer of claim1 wherein said at least two sections of said heating wire aresubstantially perpendicular to one another.
 5. An electric heat sealercomprising: (a) a casing, wherein said casing includes a first pair ofextensions extending outwardly therefrom, wherein said first extensionsextend in opposite directions, (b) a press bar pivotally connected tosaid casing, wherein said press bar includes a second pair of extensionsextending outwardly therefrom, wherein said first extensions extend inopposite directions, and wherein said press bar is normally biased abovesaid casing, (c) a sealing mechanism mounted in said press bar, whereinsaid sealing mechanism includes (i) a heat insulative base, (ii) aheating wire secured on said heat insulative base, wherein said heatingwire comprises at least two horizontal sections that are substantiallyparallel and at least two vertical sections that are substantiallyparallel, and wherein said at least two horizontal sections and said atleast two vertical sections are substantially perpendicular to oneanother, and (iii) a heat resistant cover sheet secured over saidheating wire, (d) a source of current for energizing said heating wire,and (e) a power cord jack mounted to the casing wherein said sealingmechanism extends into said extensions.
 6. The electric heat sealer ofclaim 5 further comprising an actuation button extending downwardly fromsaid press bar, wherein said heating wire is energized when said pressbar is pressed downwardly and said actuation button is urged upwardly toelectrically connect said source of current to said heating wire.
 7. Asealer wall mounting mechanism comprising: (a) a main body portion, (b)a pair of spaced apart posts extending outwardly from said main bodyportion, and (c) a pair of spaced apart hang members extending outwardlyfrom said main body portion and spaced below said pair of spaced apartposts wherein the spaced apart posts are configured to allow thesecuring of a power cord wrapped around the spaced apart posts and thespaced apart hang members are configured to support the hanging of aheat sealing device having a body with a longitudinal handle portion anda sealer portion including a pair of extensions extending outwardly fromthe longitudinal handle portion, the spaced apart hang members beingdistanced from each other at a width that is larger than thelongitudinal handle portion of the body, but the width being smallerthan the sealer portion.
 8. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said mainbody portion has a pair of openings defined therein.
 9. The mechanism ofclaim 8 wherein said openings include a wide portion and a narrowportion.
 10. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said posts each have a tabattached to an end thereof.
 11. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein saidmain body portion has a cord depression and a sealer depression definedtherein, wherein said pair of posts are disposed in said corddepression, and wherein said pair of hang members are disposed in saidsealer depression.
 12. A plastic bag sealer comprising a sealingmechanism having a base and a heatable wire thereon, the base having anupper surface portion upon which the wire is positioned, wherein thelength of the wire which is adapted to contact the bag is greater thanthe length of the upper surface portion of the base, and the basefurther having a power cord jack mounted to the base.
 13. An electricheat sealer comprising (a) a casing, (b) a press bar pivotally connectedto said casing, (c) at least one sealing mechanism mounted within saidcasing or said press bar, said sealing mechanism including a heatingwire, wherein said heating wire has a resistance of greater than about 5ohms, (d) a source of current, and (e) a power cord jack mounted to thecasing.
 14. The sealer of claim 13 wherein said sealing mechanism has anoperating surface, wherein the portion of said heating wire disposed onsaid operating surface includes at least two sections that arenon-parallel to one another.
 15. An electric heat sealer comprising (a)a casing, (b) a press bar pivotally connected to said casing, (c) atleast one sealing mechanism mounted within said casing or said pressbar, said sealing mechanism including a heating wire having, anon-circular cross-section, (d) a source of current, and (e) a powercord jack mounted to the casing.
 16. The sealer of claim 15 wherein saidheating wire has a planar top surface.
 17. The sealer of claim 16wherein said heating wire has a rectangular cross-section.
 18. A plasticbag sealer comprising a sealing mechanism having a base and a heatablewire thereon, the base having, a length and an upper surface portionupon which the wire is positioned, wherein said surface area of saidwire that is adapted to contact the bag is greater than the surface areaof the wire which would be adapted to contact the bag if said wire werelinearly disposed along said length of said upper surface portion of thebase, the base further having a power cord jack mounted thereto.